This invention relates to a particular tube/fin block construction for a heat exchanger having several tubes arranged side-by-side along a transverse direction of the block and through which a heat transfer fluid can flow. Corrugated-fin complexes are inserted between adjacent tubes and are connected with the adjacent tubes. At least one of the corrugated fin-complexes is a double corrugated-fin complex with two corrugated-fin units arranged side-by-side in the transverse direction of the block. The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing such a tube/fin block. Heat exchangers with such a tube/fin block are used, for example, as condensers and evaporators in motor vehicle air conditioners and may have the form, for example, of flat-tube heat exchangers in a serpentine-type construction.
In German Patent Application No. 196 49 129.0, a flat-tube heat exchanger having a tube/fin block of the initially mentioned type is described in which double corrugated-fin complexes are inserted between respective adjacent tubes and which the two corrugated-fin units of the double corrugated-fin complexes, which are arranged side-by-side in the transverse direction of the block, are separated from one another by a massive continuous separating plate. The two corrugated-fin units, on one side, are soldered to the separating plate and, on the other side, are soldered to the respective adjoining flat tubes. A sufficient distance is to be created by the double corrugated-fin complexes between two adjacent flat tubes respectively in order to twist the flat tube ends by 90.degree. without hindering one another and permit inserting them into a pertaining distributing or collecting tube.
A heat exchanger disclosed in German Published Patent Application DE 195 36 116 A1 has a tube/fin block of the initially mentioned type which is divided into two areas in which a massive supporting metal plate instead of one of several parallel linear flat tubes is provided. A respective division of the lateral distributing and collecting tubes corresponds to this division of the tube/fin block. The purpose of this measure consists of integrating two separate heat transfer fluid circulating systems in the heat exchanger, for example, for implementing an integrated condenser--oil cooler unit for a motor vehicle.